Load supporting structures



1967 E. T. GETZ ETAI 6 LOAD SUPPORTI NG STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS [0% Am 0272 /%4 TTHE'W 24am BY aw ATTORNEYS E. T. GETZ ETAL LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Nov. 21, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1965 INVENTORS [DWA/PD 6,572 ,WAf/V/EW 24.04%

I ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1967 Filed Dec. 23, 1965 E. T. GETZ ETAL LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .z'Ezg. J17

INVENTORS [an 4x20 61572 W4 727/5 fiAmx ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1967 E. T. GETZ ETAL 3,353,

LOAD SUPPORTI NG STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 25, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VEN TORS [014 420 @572 wflf/fi/w PAC/1K BY M /WA ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1967' T. GETZ ETAL 3,353,869

LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 \gg N J5 INVENTORS EDWARD 7." GETZ MATTHEWPACAK BY d1? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,353,869 LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Edward T. Getz, Cleveland Heights, and Matthew Pacak, Solon, Ohio, assignors to Eaton Yale & Towne Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 528,671 23 Claims. (Cl. 297-452) This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Serial No. 479,068, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a seat construction adaptable for use in vehicle seats, furniture, etc., or other load supporting devices of this general type. More specifically, this invention is directed to a new and novel combination of supporting members, flexible load supporting and transferring structure and resilient material to provide a novel cooperation of these elements in their combined form to result in a new and improved seat construction.

In the prior art, cushion or seat constructions used as load supporting members of this general type do not take maximum advantage of the combination of a supporting frame and resilient material making up such cushion or seat. Such devices, for example, contain flexible members embedded in the resilient material such as foam, the flexible members being attached to the frame which is adapted to be carried, for example, in the case of furniture on the furniture legs or in the case of vehicle seats on the brace and sub-frame members protruding from the floor of the vehicle; In these latter types of seat constructions the foam material does not surround the frame and does not fully cooperate with the under or lower surfaces of the flexible members to provide the greatest utility to the combination of the elements making up the seat construction. 1

It is an object of this invention to provide a seat construction having a supporting member, flexible load supporting and transferring structure and resilient material to obtain the maximum utility from each of these members and their association with the other members making up the scat construction.

It is another object of this invention to provide a seat construction having opposed supporting members, flexible load supporting and transferring structure and resilient material surrounding the supporting members to gain maximum advantage from the cooperation between the supporting members and the resilient material.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a seat construction having support members, flexible load supporting and transferring structure carried on the support members in cantilevered relationship, and resilient material bonded or adhered at least to the lower surfaces or underside of the flexible load supporting and transferring structure so that loads applied to the seat are proportionally transferred by the flexible load supporting transferring structure and the resilient material to the support members.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a seat construction having support members, flexible load supporting and transferring structure cooperating with a resilient material which surrounds the support members, the flexible load supporting and transferring structure being so constructed so as to provide the maximum amount of cooperation with the resilient material in the area of the seat receiving the greatest load.

An additional object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved load supporting structure which comprises a frame having load supporting and transferring structure mounted thereon surrounded by a first pad of elastomeric material having predetermined physical properties, and a preformed pad of elastomeric material having different physical properties molded into a major portion of a face of said first mentioned pad.

Patented Nov. 21, 1967 Yet another object of this invention is provision of a load supporting structure as noted in the next preceding paragraph wherein the inner face between the first and second pads is of denser, tougher consistency than either 5 of said pads to provide a reinforced seat structure with a relatively soft outer surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a load supporting structure having a frame, load supporting and transferring structure carried on the frame, elastomeric material of a predetermined density bonded to at least one side of the load supporting and transferring structure, and a preformed pad of elastomeric material of a lesser density mounted into one face of the load supporting structure to provide a reinforced seat structure with a relatively soft outer surface.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a closed mold process for making a new and improved integral foam cushion unit having a frame, load supporting and transfer means, flexible elastomeric material and a preformed pad molded into one face of said unit.

Still further objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description of this invention and annexed drawings which disclose:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a so-called bucket type seat for use in vehicles illustrative of one possible application of the cushion construction of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the illustrative application of the seatconstruction of this invention disclosed in FIGURE 1 with the seat being shown in a partially completed or unupholstered form.

FIGURE :3 is a perspective view of one form of the flexible load supporting and transferring structure attached to supporting members.

FIGURE 4 is a. perspective view of the form of supporting members, illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the seat construction of'FIGURE 2, certain portions being broken away to illustrate the relationship of the supporting members, flexible load supporting and transferring structure and 40 resilient material.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the seat construction illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5 as taken along line 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a partial top plan view of a bench type seat illustrating another application of the novel seat construction ofthis invention, with the resilient material above the finger set removed.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 6 disclosing a modification of the manner of attaching the upper portion of the resilient material to the lower portion of the resilient material of the seat construction.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a modified form of the flexible load supporting and transferring structure.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the seat construction similar to FIGURE 6, but disclosing in section the modification of the flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 9 with the flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus being surrounded by foamed elastomeric material.

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of portions of the load supporting and transfer means showing a modified form of connecting means resiliently attaching the unsupported portions.

FIGURES 12-14 represent successive steps in the proc- 5 ess for making the foam cushion unit of FIGURE 15 according to the present invention.

Before explaining the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the particular construction and arrangement of 70 parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 discloses an illustration of one application for the new and novel seat construction of this invention. This particular application is a bucket type eat for use in vehicles. Other applications of the seat construction of this invention will become apparent hereinafter, for example, in the environment of the base or back portion of a bench type seat as illustrated by- FIGURE 7. The seat construction shown in FIGURE 1 at 1 comprises a base portion 2 and a back portion 3 for supporting the buttocks and back of the vehicle passenger. As mentioned, this seat construction is only illustrative of the varied and numerous applications of the novel seat construction of this invention, as will become apparent hereinafter. FIGURE 2 discloses the seat construction of FIGURE 1 with the upholstery or outer cover removed to illustrate that the supporting members and flexible load supporting and transferring structure are surrounded by the resilient material of the cushion construction to provide maximum utility to the combination of these members, as will become apparent hereinafter. FIGURE 2 as well as FIGURE 1 also illustrates a hinged connection 4 between the base portion 2 and back portion 3 so that the back portion can be pivoted forward to provide accessibility to the rear passenger area of the vehicle a is well-known.

' Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, there is illustrated one form of the supporting members and flexible load supporting and transferring structure of the cushion construction of this invention. The supporting members 5 of this seat construction comprise base support members 6 and upwardly extending back support members 7 hinged through a connection 8, similar to the hinge connection 4. It is evident that the hinged connection 8 can be eliminated and the connection between base portion 2 and back portion 3 made rigid for the production of a non-fold seat as used in a 4-door sedan.

The support members 6 for the seat construction comprises a semi-curved front rail 9 and an opposed substantially, straight rear rail 10. Straight side rail 11 and 12 join the respective ends of the front and rear rails 9 and 10 to produce a generally open square frame.

The front rail 9, rear rail 10 and side rails 11 and 12 are made of angle iron with one leg vertically disposed to provide a lip 13 for attachment of finger sets 22, 23 and 36 as will become apparent hereinafter.

Feet members 14 are provided at the corners of the support members 6 so that the entire construction can be attached to a suitable pair of guide rail in the automobile on which seats are customarily mounted to provide for adjustment on the seat relative to the steering wheel to accommodate drivers of differing size as is well-known.

Upstanding stop lugs 15 are provided near the ends of the rear rail 10. These abut the bottom rail 16 of the hinged back supporting member 7 and aid in providing proper orientation for that unit.

The back supporting member 7 comprises a bottom rail 16 and an opposed top rail 17 secured together by opposed side rails 18, the top rail being of lesser span or length than the bottom rail. Side rails 18 converge from the ends of the bottom rail 16 inwardly and upwardly to the ends of the top rail 17 to provide the contoured, upwardly tapered back supporting member 7.

The back supporting member 7 is suitably made from a single piece of strap iron bent to produce the rails enumerated, with the terminal ends joined together to produce an endless unit.

The strap hinges 8 have their upper ends riveted or the like as at 19 to the lower portions of the side rails 18. The lower portions of the strap hinges 8 bend forwardly in an arc and carry pins 20. The pins 20 fit into tubular sockets 21 fastened to the rear portions of the side rails 18 of the base support members 6. The back frame is thereby adapted to be folded forward as in a two-door auto application.

Each flexible load supporting and transferring structure illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5 comprises a plurality of flat members having a common base portion secured, attached or otherwise carried in cantilevered relationship on the rail members making up the base supporting members or the back support members. These flexible load supporting and transferring members illustrated comprise a plurality of elongated finger-like elements 29, or finger sets which extend or project into the area of greatest load. In the seat illustrated, the area of greatest load in the base portion 2 is located between the rear rail member 10 and the transverse centerline of the seat. In the back portion 3, the area of greatest load is located between the rail 16 and the transverse centerline of the back portion 3.

At the front of the seat, there are two opposed finger sets 22 and 23. The left hand set 22 comprises a common base member 24 from which five fingers 25 extend in parallel, spaced relation. The fingers 25 in this actual embodiment of the invention are about 1" wide and spaced about 1" apart. The finger set including fingers 25 and the common base member 24 is folded over in a U-section and hooked over the side rail 12 to prevent movement of the finger sets toward the center of the seat upon application of a load to the seat.

Referring to FIGURE 3 for example, the main portion of the fingers 25 are oflset from the plane of the rails or frame in a direction away from the top surface of the seat. Thus, the major portion of each finger lays in a plane offset downwardly from the upper edge of the frame. The offset arrangement of the fingers, prevents or alleviates fatigue failures of the fingers at the edge of the rails and the detrimental formation of a permanent set in the fingers and the foam rubber above the fingers upon cyclic loading of the unit.

Opposite the left hand fingers set 22 is the right hand set 23. The right and left hand sets 23 and 22 are similar in structural configuration.

The right hand set 23 is attached to the right hand rail 11 by the folded over U-section common base member 28. The inner ends of the fingers 25 on both finger sets are hook-shaped as at 26 and are positioned in opposed relation for receiving rubber bands 27.

The rear rail 10 of support members 6 also carries a finger set 36. This finger set is similar to finger sets 22 and 23 in that it contains a base portion 37 snapped on to rail 10 and carrying a plurality of finger-like elements 38 extending into the medial area of the seat. At least one of the finger elements 38 is turned over in its end area for receipt of a rubber band 27 carried by fingers on the finger sets 22 and 23.

Attached to the back supporting members 7 are a plurality of flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus or members taking the form of finger sets similar in construction to finger sets 22 and 23. A finger set 30 is secured, attached or otherwise carried on the top rail 17 of the back supporting members 7. Thi finger set comprises a base member 31 attached to rail 17 by a folded over, U-section and carries finger-like elements 32. Likewise, a finger set 33 is attached to bottom rail 16 of the support member 7 and is attached thereto by a folded over, U-section. The base portion 34 of finger set 33 carries a plurality of finger-like elements 35.

FIGURE 5 of the drawings illustrates the relationship of the above described support members and flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus and resilient material making up the overall combination of the cushion construction. FIGURE 6 also illustrates such combination and association and as shown, discloses support members 9 and 10 as well as finger set 36 mounted on sup port member 10. The finger-like elements 38 extend or protrude into the medial area of the cushion.

The resilient material 40 is a foam rubber preferably polyurethane foam, or other similar elastomeric or rubher-like foamed material bonded or secured to at least the underside or bottom surface of the finger sets and is bonded or secured to support members 9 and 10. Preferably the foamed material 40 completely surrounds the support members 9 and 10. The resilient material 40 extends between such support members, and the resilient material functions in cooperation with the support members as an independent supporting means within the cushion construction. As shown in FIGURE 6, the resilient material as mentioned, preferably surrounds and is bonded to the support members 9 and 10 in their entirety and extends therebetween, so upon application of loads of the type in the vehicle seat environment, the resilient material will remain fast to the support members and transfer such load to the support members. The resilient material is adhered or bonded to at least the lower surface or underside of the finger-like elements and the entire finger set. By bonding or adhering the resilient material to the lower surface area of the finger set, such material beneath the fingers is placed in tension upon an application of a load to the cushion structure. Thus, full advantage is taken of the cooperation between the finger set and the resilient material since any loads applied to the cushion substantially normal to the cushion surface are transferred laterally throughout the resilient material which is bonded to the underside of the finger-like elements. To take full advantage of this principle, a considerable depth of resilient material is provided below the finger-like elements as shown in FIGURE 6.

With the resilient material surrounding the supporting members and adhering to the finger set, which is attached to the supporting members, maximum advantage is taken of the cooperation between each of these elements. Any load applied to the cushion is proportionally takenby the resilient material itself, and by the flexible finger set in cooperation with the resilient material, since the resilient material completely surrounds the opposed support members 9 and 10 and the resilient materials is adhered to at least the lower portion of the flexible finger set.

It has been found through extensive testing by thousands of cycles of load application and release to cushion constructions of this type that the above described novel association of support member, flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus and resilient material provides a cushion construction with the durability required for application in the vehicle environment and yet is of minimum cost. Merely attaching the resilient material to a flexible load supporting member, such as the finger set illustrated, does not take advantage of the cooperation of resilient material and supporting members, which in itself as mentioned, can provide an independent supporting means. Further, merely attaching the resilient material to the support members and not to the under surface or extremity of the flexible members does not take full advantage of the physical relationship of the finger set, and

resilient material so that such can cooperatively transfer 7 loads to the support members.

.the upholstery or covering around the cushion. This is illustrated in FIGURE 6. Further, such upper portion 41 of resilient material can also be of different physical characteristics than the lower resilient material 40. For example, the upper portion 41 could be of less tensile strength than the lower portion 40 of the seat. Also, the upper portion 41 can have a different resiliency, softness or structural configuration. The upper portion 41 of the resilient material can also be adhered or bonded by means of an adhesive to the lower resilient material. FIGURE 8 illustrates still a different means of attaching the upper portion 41 of the resilient material to the lower portion 40 of the resilient material as by a mechanical locking through the provision of interlocking groove 42 and rib 44 in the lower and upper resilient materials, respectively, making up the cushion.

The particular disposition of the flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus with respect to the location of the area in which the greatest load is to be applied to the cushion construction is also of importance. The use of finger-like elements as the flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus in this environment, as Well as any similar elongated member, presents an advantage in that such can be configured to place a major portion thereof in the area of greatest load application so that maximum advantage is taken of the cooperation between the resilient material bonded to the under surface or bottom side of such members and the members themselves. For example, finger-like elements as illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 5 may be of different lengths, widths or overall structural configuration to take maximum advantage of the cooperation between the resilient material underneath the finger-like members and the members themselves.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another application of the type of flexible load supporting and transferring structure of this invention, namely, a plurality of finger-like members extending from the rear rail of a bench type seat as would be used for example in the rear passenger area of a vehicle. As shown in FIGURE 7, the rear rail carries a finger set 36' hooked over the rail in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 3. The finger set 36' has integral finger-like elements 38' extending into the medial area of the seat and adjacent front rail 9. The finger-like elements 38' of this illustrated embodiment of the invention are of greater length to provide additional support in cooperation with the layer of foamed elastomeric material 40' disposed below the finger-like elements. The foamed elastomeric material is adhered or bonded to the entire finger set, in the same manner as the finger sets illustrated in FIGURE 3. Also, the foamed elastomeric material surrounds the rear and front rail members in the same fashion as described in reference to FIGURE 3. The flexible load supporting and transferring structure as illustrated in FIGURE 7 can comprise a plurality of finger sets each containing finger-like elements protruding from only a single support member and could be applied to the back portion of a seat having an elongated frame as in the rear seat of a vehicle. The upper portion of the resilient material making up the seat construction of FIGURE 7 could be disposed in the manner referred to in regard to FIGURES 6 and 8.

Also, additional elements may be included as part of the flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus of the cushion construction such being illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 5 as rubber bands 27 attaching adjacent finger-like members together in the areas of the cushion receiving the greatest load. Such rubber bands are extensible upon application to provide as mentioned, the desired support in the area of cushion receiving the greatest load, and also provide additional resiliency and cooperation between the flexible finger-like members.

FIGURE 11 shows another structural arrangement of the load supporting and transfer means in the form of finger sets 50 having notches 51 in their lateral edges for receiving the rubber bands 52. In this arrangement, the surfaces of the rubber bands 52 and the fingers 50 are parallel to the plane of the loading surface of the seat unit. The rubber bands 50 maintain the finger sets in the same plane within the seat unit which, it has been found, promotes even distribution of any load upon the seat unit throughout the finger sets through the frame means. The notches 51 may be of any desired shape or configuration. Provision of notches in the lateral edges of the finger sets has been found to be advantageous in the making of relatively thin seats. The fiat, notched fingers and fiat bands 52, as shown in FIGURE 11, do not present protrusions in the foam and provide a softer feel when sitting on the seat. The flat, notched fingers of FIGURE 11 are more economical and easier to manufacture than the turned-over end fingers as shown in FIG- URE 3 as the fabrication step of turning the end of the finger over is not necessary. It has also been found that it; is easier to foam around a flat, notched finger than a turned-over end in making the seat unit.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 9 and 10 which also illustrate additional flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus in a cushion construction of this invention, specifically a sheet of rubber-like material 46 disposed abovethe finger sets. Such flexible sheet of resilient material is disposed substantially in the medial area of the seat and extends throughout its greatest width toward opposed right and left rails 9 and 10 adjacent rear rail 10 so as to provide additional support in the medial to rear area of the cushion as required for application to the vehicle environment. The sheet 46 is also perforated so that additional gripping or securement is provided between the sheet and resilient material.

In regard to the provision of flexible load supporting and transferring apparatus of the type illustrated, such can also be relieved or provided with spaced portions in the area of greatest load to provide a comfort zone within the cushion of seat which would be cQmPletely resilient material or more flexible types of load supporting and transferring apparatus. One form of this arrangement is illustrated in FIGURE 3, wherein the end portions of finger set 36 is spaced from finger sets 22 and 23 in the area of the cushion of greatest load application.

In accordance with the present invention as illustrated in FIGURE 15, a seat construction is provided which includes a pad 60 of relatively soft, open-celled polyurethane foam which is supported by and bonded to a second pad 61 of a relatively denser polyurethane foam. In the seat construction shown in FIGURE 15, the pad 60 is preferably cut from a selected polyurethane slab stock and subsequently molded to the base of the pad 61 to form a unitary and completed seat construction. The hardness of the composite seat may be varied by a variation of the thickness of the pad 60 relative to the thickness of the base pad 61 or in varying the relative densities or the physical characteristics of the respective pads. The prefoamed pad 60 may range in thickness from A" to 1" but it has been found that a A" thickness is preferably. While molding the pad 60 to the base of the pad 61, the Wet foam forming the pad 61 impregnates the slab 60 and creates a layer at the interface 63 between the pads 60 and 61 which is denser and tougher than either pad 60 or 61. Also, the use of the prefoamed pad 60 ensures a smooth, soft surface of the seat because without the pad 60 the air within the mold and gases formed during the foaming of the polyurethane are trapped and cause voids or pockets to be formed in the outer surface of the seat.

Referring to FIGURES 1 2-14, mold 65 and mold cover 66 are shown in cross-section. The frame 5, with its load supporting and transfer means 25, is supported during the molding operation in spaced relationship preferably from the mold cover 66, by any suitable means 64 such as screws, bolts, magnetized pins or the like. The prefoamed pad 60 is shown in FIGURE 13 as placed between the suspended frame and the mold cover 66. With the. frame supported in place and the prefoamed pad 60 placed on the frame, the polyurethane foam mixture is poured in a liquid state into the mold in a conventional manner in an amount sufficient to cover the bottom surface of the mold. The mold is then closed by placing the lid 66 on the mold and securing it in place and allowing the polyurethane foam mixture to react and rise, thereby filling the mold with foam. When the mixture reacts and rises, the resulting foam carries the prefoamed pad 60 from its unsecured position upon the frame 5, shown in FIGURE 13, to the upper portion of the mold against the mold cover 66, as shown in FIGURE 14. An alternative way of effecting placement of the prefoamed pad 60 in the upper surface of the seat unit would be to secure the preformed pad by pin means or other suitable means in place against the mold cover 66 before introduction of the polyurethane foam mixture into the mold. It is to be understood that this invention may be practiced not only with polyurethane foams such as polyether using the one-shot method but may also be used in conjunction with a polyether-urethane prepolymer. After the polyurethane foam mixture has foamed within the mold, the foamed mixture is cured and treated by a heating process in the usual manner. Foam articles produced in this manner with the preformed pad at the upper area of the mold were found to be practically free of defects while foams made without the preformed pad possessed considerable irregularities and defects upon removal of the mold lid 66. The resulting interface between the prefoamed pad 60 and the pad 61 is of denser, tougher consistency having a modulus of elongation substantially greater than either of the pads. This denser, tougher interface provides a reinforced seat structure with a relatively soft outer surface.

It should be understood that the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described herein in great detail, and that certain modifications and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art to which it relates, and it is intended to cover hereby all changes, adaptations and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A load supporting structure comprising:

frame means for supporting elastorneric material,

load supporting and transferring elements mounted on said frame means members in cantilevered relationship, the free ends of said elements disposed in nonoverlapping relationship,

a layer of foamed elastorneric material bonded to at least the underside of said load supporting and trans ferring elements to coact with said elements and said frame means,

so that a load applied to the upper side of said loading supporting structure is proportioned between said foamed elastorneric material and said load supporting and transferring elements and thereby transferred to said frame means members.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said load supporting and transferring elements are finger type members having a base portion mounted on said frame means and a substantially fiat portion extending from said base portion.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said elastorneric material includes a separate elastorneric memher, said elastorneric member secured to said elastorneric material.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said finger type members are mounted in cantilevered relationship on opposed portions of said frame means extending toward one another into the medial area of the load supporting structure.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said load supporting and transferring elements are substantially fiat sheet-like members mounted in cantilevered relationship on said frame means and extending into the medial area of said load supporting structure.

6. A seat construction comprising:

frame means including members for supporting resilient material,

said frame means comprising a base portion and a back portion,

said base portion comprising opposed side rail members and opposed front and rear rail members secured to said side rail members to form a box-shaped frame,

said back portion comprising opposed side rails and opposed upper and lower rail members secured to said side rail members, said upper rail member being shorter than said lower rail member so that said back portion is inwardly contoured from the lower to upper rail members,

means connecting said base portion to said back portion,

a plurality of finger sets carried by said base and said back portions,

the finger sets on said base portion comprising three such finger sets, each finger set includes: an elongated base member having a U-shaped attaching means adapted to be hooked over a rail member, said base member extending substantially the entire extent of the length of said respective rail member,

finger members integral with each base member, said finger members being of greater transverse cross sectional width than transverse cross sectional height,

one of said fingers sets of said base portion being hooked over one side rail member and another one of said finger sets of said base portion being carried on the other opposed side rail member, the remaining finger set of said base portion being hooked over said rear rail member and extending toward said one and said other finger sets,

the finger sets on said back portion comprising two such finger sets, each of which includes: an elongated base member having an elongated U- shaped attaching means adapted to be hooked over a rail member, said base member extending substantially the entire extent of the length of said respective rail member, finger members integral with each base member, said finger members being of greater transverse cross sectional width than transverse cross sectional height,

one of said finger sets of said back portion being hooked over said upper rail member of said back portion and the other of said finger sets of said back portion being hooked over said lower rail member of said back portion,

foamed elastomeric material surrounding said base and said back portion,

said elastomeric material surrounding and enclosing said rail members of said base and back portions and being adhered to all of said finger sets.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 including rubber band type elements hooked over opposing finger members of said finger members of said one and said other of said finger sets of said base portion and adjacent finger members of said fin er members of said one, said other and said remaining finger sets of said base portion.

8. Load supporting structure comprising:

frame means,

load transfer means mounted on said frame means and disposed substantially in a plane normal to the direction of load on said load supporting structure, said load transfer means including a plurality of elements supported solely at one end to said frame means, said elements extending in laterally spaced relationship with one another, the other end of each of said elements terminating in laterally spaced relationship to each other, the other end of substantially all of said elements spaced a substantial distance from said frame means,

elastomeric material bonded to said frame means and to the underside of said load transfer means, said elastomeric material and said load transfer means cooperatively transferring any load on said structure to said frame means.

9. A load supporting structure comprising:

a frame,

load transfer means mounted on said frame and extending from said frame into the medial area of said load supporting structure,

a first pad of substantial thickness formed of elastomeric material bonded to at least one side of said load transfer means so that a load applied to said load supporting structure is proportioned between said elastomeric material of said first pad and said load transfer means and thereby transferred to said frame, and

a preformed second elastomeric material pad molded into one face of said first pad over a major portion thereof.

10. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the interface between said first and second pads is of denser, tougher consistency than either of said pads to provide a reinforced load supporting structure with a relatively soft outer surface.

11. A load supporting structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the second elastomeric material pad is of a size smaller and thinner than said first pad.

12. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the elastomeric material comprising said second pad has different physical properties than the elastomeric material comprising said first pad.

13. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said load supporting and transfer elements are contained within said elastomeric material and extend toward the medial area of the load supporting structure.

14. A load supporting structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the structure includes base and back portions forming a seat.

15. A load supporting structure comprising:

frame means including members for supporting elastomeric material,

finger-type load supporting and transferring elements mounted in cantilevered relationship on opposed frame support members extending toward one another into the medial area of the load supporting structure, said finger-type load supporting and transferring elements having a base portion mounted on one of said frame members and a substantially fiat portion extending from said base portion, the opposed finger-type load supporting and transferring elements being attached to each other through resil ient means, and

a layer of foamed elastomeric material bonded to the underside of said load supporting and transferring elements and surrounding said frame members and coacting therewith, so that a load applied to the upper side of said load supporting structure is proportioned between said foamed elastomeric material and said load supporting and transferring elements and thereby transferred to said frame members.

16. Load supporting structure comprising:

frame means,

load transfer means mounted on said frame means and disposed substantially in a plane normal to the direction of load on said load supporting structure,

said load transfer means including portions extending toward and terminating in spaced relation to one another in the same plane,

said portions each supported solely at one end to said frame on opposite sides of said frame,

said portions extending in laterally spaced relationship with one another,

elastomeric material bonded to said frame and to the underside of said load transfer means,

1 1 said elastomeric material and said load transfer means cooperatively transferring any load on said structure to said frame. 17. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 8 wherein said elements are supported on different sections of said frame means, the unsupported ends of said elements disposed in non-interdigitated relationship to each other.

18. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 8 wherein said load transferring elements are finger-type members having a base portion mounted on said frame means and said elements are provided with mounting means for resilient means extending therebetween so that the resilient means lie substantially in the same plane as and co-extensive with said load transfer means.

19. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least some of the other ends of said elements are supported by resilient members.

20. The load supporting structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein a major portion and the free ends of said ele ments are offset from the frame means so as to lie spaced from the plane of the frame.

21. Load supporting structure comprising: frame means, at least two sets of load transfer means mounted on said frame means and disposed substantially in a plane normal to the direction of the load on said structure, said load transfer means sets each including a plurality of elements laterally spaced from each other and supported solely at one end at different portions of said frame means,

the other end of some of the elements of one set disposed in spaced opposed relationship to the other end of some of the elements of another set,

elastomeric material bonded to the underside of said load transfer means,

said elastomeric material and said load transfer means cooperatively transferring any load on said structure to said frame means.

22. Load supporting structure as set forth in claim 21 wherein means are provided resiliently connecting at least some of the opposed other ends of the elements of the spaced load transfer means sets to each other.

23. Load supporting structure as set forth in claim 22 wherein the elements of said load transfer means sets are provided with mounting means for said resilient means so that the resilient means lie substantially in the same plane as and co-extensive with said load transfer means and parallel to the load supporting surface of said structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,845,997 8/1955 Waite 297457 3,081,077 3/1963 Sudman 267l11 3,084,980 4/1963 Lawson 297455 3,112,987 12/1963 Griffiths et al 264 3,140,086 7/ 1964 Lawson 2671 11 3,204,016 8/ 1965 Sanger et al. 264-45 3,259,435 7/1966 Jordan 297-455 3,264,034 8/1966 Lawson 297-456 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: FRAME MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL, LOAD SUPPORTING AND TRANSFERRING ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEANS MEMBERS IN CANTILEVERED RELATIONSHIP, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN NONOVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, A LAYER OF FOAMED ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL BONDED TO AT LEAST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID LOAD SUPPORTING AND TRANSFERRING ELEMENTS TO COACT WITH SAID ELEMENTS AND SAID FRAME MEANS, SO THAT A LOAD APPLIED TO THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID LOADING SUPPORTING STRUCTURE IS PROPORTIONED BETWEEN SAID FOAMED ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND SAID LOAD SUPPORTING AND TRANSFERRING ELEMENTS AND THEREBY TRANSFERRED TO SAID FRAME MEANS MEMBERS. 